A Shift in Perspective
by Black Archivist
Summary: The demigod life without any of the glamour.
1. Life in a Nutshell

**Notice: I don't own the world this was set in since that was conceptualized by Mr. Rick Riordan. I do own the plot and the non-canon characters. If it won't be much of a bother please do review. Thank you for taking the time to open or read this have a nice day/afternoon/evening.**

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Perhaps everyone has gone to the point that they wished they were "special", "unique", and that their life was anything but the ordinary. More often than not people do not get this while some... well some of them wished that they didn't get more than what they bargained for. I was one of those few who regretted ever living a life other than that of an average human being. I was handed the life of a demigod.

It started out like every other story. I was normal, living with my parents, worrying about school, and generally just minding my own business. In a word, it was boring. It's like living the same day over and over again. Wake up, study, take a bath, eat breakfast, go to school, go home, read, sleep and repeat. Nothing exciting ever happened. I was just me, the "weird girl" who didn't have friends. I didn't think I'd ever miss that life of peaceful solitude. I was wrong.

I was on my way to the park for one of my usual on the field drawing sessions and everything was as it was supposed to be. Birds were singing their merry tune and people were relaxing under the cloudy skies. The weather was absolutely perfect for me, no bright sunlight to make the world look like an overly saturated mess with almost zero contrast. It couldn't have gone any better. Then the world just decided to throw one of those 180 degree turns that made a perfectly peachy day into an excerpt of a horror film. For those who saw this coming congrats, you just predicted how a peaceful day ended up with me running for my life. Hilarious, absolutely hilarious, I get the worst wake up call in history; a huge freak of nature who probably labeled me as lunch.

Nothing was making sense because apparently I'm the only one who could see it. Nothing to top off a crazy day with the oh so reassuring thought that you've gone mad. Delightful no? Just what every thirteen year old girl needs. Well apparently whoever was writing the script for the divine comedy that was my life had some smidgen of mercy because someone came to help me. It was one of my schoolmates, a fellow outcast. Well for one he had a peculiar speech impediment, wore an assortment of beanies to school, and generally avoided the company of the general population. Odd enough he seemed to be everywhere I went now that I think of it... that aside he pulled me to a corner away from the creature's path and started dragging me to who knows where.

That was five years ago.

Now, I am at camp helping people like me train and become stronger. In the last five years I have been in enough quests for me to not want to do it ever again. With the wars passed things are better, but it doesn't take away everything that came with them.

With me today is a fresh new batch of possibly future heroes. Who knows maybe one of them would save the world too (most likely not).

"Well kids, first off I need to know just how much you know and what you expect to gain from this," I said as I watched their faces. They looked so confused, a lot like I would've had five years ago.

One of them shyly raised his hand trembling a bit. "um, I uh... have a question" he mumbled shakily

"Go on. Might as well have it brought up" I replied examining his face. He was roughly 8-10 years old based on his features. Then again appearance could be very deceiving.

"Can we have lives outside of camp where we won't get chased by monsters?" he asked

"Short answer, no" I deadpanned "We can lead normal lives but monsters won't steer clear of us. They're bound to pop up sooner or later so we train so you guys won't end up as monster chow"

He stepped back with his eyes fixed on his sneakers til he mustered up the courage to talk again. "Will my dad be okay?" he asked

"I have no idea, but I suppose you can ask Chiron about that later," I replied putting a hand on his shoulder "for now you kids are going to learn how to survive on your own"


	2. Home

"Been scaring the newbies again have we?" said a familiar voice. I turned my head to be met Arlo, the satyr who saved me all those years back. Funny how I didn't notice that he was half goat until we were running from a manticore. Long story short, Arlo was the other weird kid in our school, the one that wore beanies and at the time appeared to be disabled. In a sense Arlo also became one of my very few friends.

"Well what do you expect me to say to them?" I shot back with my arms crossed "Do you expect me to say, oh the life of a demigod is sooooo exciting, we get to fight monsters, get cool powers and probably spend summers in the coooooolest summer camp ever" I continued mockingly

"Come on now," he chided lightly elbowing me, "kids don't need to know the gritty details"

"So by following that logic you expect me to sugar coat it and let them find out the hard way when they're about to become someone's new pet or dinner then?" I replied

"well..." he trailed off trying to find a better explanatin

"Thought so," I ended as I flicked his nose "come on now goat boy I'm famished and I want a hearty serving of chicken swimming in gravy with a side of mash"

"You just ate and I have a name you know" he shot back as we walked to the dining pavilion. Hardly anyone was there at the moment, and the usual bustle and chatter was missing.

"Well it's not my fault I get hungry after all that exercise. Well calling you by your name isn't as fun as calling you goat boy old man" I teased as I grabbed one of my favorite lunch orders.

"Hold up I am not old missy! I just hit 30 and that's young by satyr years" he shot back

"Well I'm 18 so that makes you more than twice my age soooo... YOU OLD" I continued jokingly as I started digging into the bucket of chicken and gravy

"Anything new today?" he asked as he chomped into a tin can as if it were an apple. I don't think I'd ever be used to seeing anyone eat that stuff.

"Not really. One kid seemed to have been separated from his father on the way here," I replied

"what did you say?" he asked looking at me as if trying to gauge if I were guilty of something

"The truth," I returned as I polished off the last of the mashed potatoes

"Truth?" he continued

"That I didn't know and he should ask Chiron about it. I'm not here to coddle them Arlo. I'm here to make sure they'd learn how to survive outside these borders" I hissed getting up

I headed up the crest of the hill and took in the view of the camp. For me it was one of the most beautiful things I've laid my eyes on. The assortment of cabins having unique themes and dare I say tasteful design that combined functionality with beauty. I can't really see everything in full detail but from my little hideaway spot I could see the few things I loved about camp. I could see some of the younger demigods training and learning to become better fighters. I could see their older brothers and sisters showing them the ropes. I could see the forest and the beach looking so picturesque and empty. Above all I can see my second home thriving after two major wars in demigod history.


	3. Trauma

Trauma, a six letter word and an experience that we are all very familiar with. You know that feeling of waking up in the middle of the night or some wretched ungodly hour drenched in sweat with your heart pounding and you suddenly feel so out of breath? That my dear is one of our very usual experiences.

It's one that just happened to shake me awake from my supposedly peaceful nap. It wasn't just a very bad dream. No, it was never just a dream. It was a film of absolutely unpleasant memories that refuse to stay buried away. They all start the same way.

It was roughly a year after I got to camp and I was still in the Hermes cabin with the unclaimed demigods and of course the Hermes kids. It's been so long for me that I lost track when I first came there. I was one of those demigods who are unsure whether their godly parent was their mom or their dad. You see I am fortunate enough to have both parents. My dad is a police officer and my hero growing up. My mom worked at a local bank as a teller and has been taking very good care of me and my dad since I could remember. I had a happy life to say the least. It was boring and mundane but I was happy with it. It has almost been a year since I last saw them or even heard from them. I missed them and constantly worried. This new safe haven became nothing short of a prison because I knew in my heart that as long as I chose to remain safe I'd be trapped here forever.

Apparently I arrived at camp during one of those times where it was bad to be a demigod. It was during the dawn of the Titan war and we were the soldiers. A kid around my age going by the name of Percy Jackson, a fellow newbie at the time was accused of stealing Zeus' master bolt. You probably know how this story goes. Young boy leaves on a quest to save his mom and prove his innocence and comes back as a hero. That year was the source of my first trauma.

It's been almost year since I came and no god wanted to claim me (not saying I could blame them, I'm not exactly a kid any parent would be proud of). I didn't know whether or not to feel sad about it but the sleeping arrangements at the Hermes Cabin isn't really very pleasant and being claimed means moving out to somewhere with enough leg room for me to be able to sleep without accidentally kicking someone in my sleep. Then there's Luke Castellan our councilor at the time and big brother figure. He always looked our for all of us even if some of us aren't even his siblings to begin with. He was our hero.

"What's your dad like?" I asked him once. I could immediately see his face warp into that of deep seated hatred.

"I have no idea, he left before I even met him," he replied. That scar of his always did intimidate me. It's like someone decided to grab a butcher's knife and slash it across his face

"I'm sorry," I mumbled "I just assumed you met him being councilor and all that. I was curious what the gods are like"

He heaved a sigh and just pat me on the head before we headed to the night's round of capture the flag. He seemed to have taken interest in the Jackson kid. Then again so have I, he didn't just run from the minotaur after all. He slew it with its own horn for Olympus' sake. That was rather impressive since the only thing I was able to do when I came here was run away from a Manticore.

I didn't know that, that game of capture the flag will be the beginning of all my established assumptions of this place will fall apart and our hero will become a villain.


	4. Hero

There is that one very fine line that separates heroes from the rest of us plebeians. That line would be a great act of heroism. Sure Perseus Jackson was a son of the sea god, but that wasn't what made him a hero. He was a hero not because he was born into it or wanted to be one (well he was kind of shoved into it by the old hags, er fates. Sorry Ladies please don't give me a shittier life)

He left as a suspect and came back as a hero. Normally I wouldn't have care about this but that wasn't all that there was to this tale. Nope, one thing that came across me like getting slapped in the face with a fish was the news that Luke has gone rogue. Yep, our cabin leader ended up ditching us without as much of an explanation.

I met him as a hero and he left as a villain. I was never close with any of The Seven to begin with, but I knew of them and saw them around camp. I can't blame anyone who finds them as inspiring because they're nothing short of it. I've seen Ms. Chase around camp a lot and it's safe to say that she makes me very uneasy. She doesn't exactly spell friendly and looks like she's always planning on a strategy to knock the person in front of her out or looking into your very soul. If there's one word I'd link to her it would be intimidating. Sure she can be nice but that doesn't make the fact that she's been one of the best fighters I've seen any less true.

That aside I saw something that was completely out of character after Luke left, she looked lost. It was like her world crashed down on her and she lost part of her soul. I didn't get much details but from what I got, they were very close friends and got to camp together with a girl named Thalia I think. Putting that into perspective it was probably like being betrayed by your brother or your hero. It's like finding out that the person you put on a pedestal was the devil. I knew that if I were in her shoes I'd probably not know what to believe in anymore. It wasn't just her, the rest of the people in the Hermes cabin had that exact same look. You'd know something was wrong when the chaos in the Hermes cabin quieted down like it did that day.

We recovered after a while and resumed living our lives as we normally did in camp. The Stoll brothers became co-heads of the Hermes cabin and everything was as lively as they used to. Mischief, reclaimed its place, but I knew that it won't be the same as it was before.

That one event in our lives was only the beginning. Hmmm, think Lemony Snicket's Series of unfortunate events kind of bad because that one bad day was only the spark that would further send our camp into chaos.

As expected we eventually engaged in an all out war with the titans. Everyone was busy trying to cover as much ground as possible. This was one of those days I wished I could forget. It's one of the days I wish never happened at all.

We were being attacked by monsters and everyone was trying their best to stay alive. Then there was the leader of the Apollo Cabin, Lee Fletcher. I'd pretty much recognize that dolt just about anywhere from all the times they lead the singalongs with those ridiculous songs of theirs. He was running around trying to help as many people as possible then a brutish monster got to him.

I tried... I tried to save him. I could've made that shot. I knew I could've hit the monster before it got to him. I could've saved him but I didn't. I shot an arrow towards the creature but I missed.

That was the last day I ever held the bow.


	5. The Future

The wars were anything but pretty... dead bodies littering the battle field and people going missing never to be found. One of the times I was reminded of the power of children born of the Big 3 was the battle of Manhattan. We were growing tired and the enemies were relentless as they hacked down one camper after another. Out of nowhere the waters started rising as if they were coming to life and cascaded down upon us wiping out monsters as well as members of our own fighters. I could remember feeling like I was drowning as I tried to keep the current from completely killing me off. It's like being caught in a flashflood with nothing to hang on to. I don't know how long it lasted or how long I was out, but all I could remember was waking up in the infirmary feeling like garbage.

All these memories of wars and even memories of quests still haunt me and would probably continue to haunt me. I know I would never forget.

Well back to today since I actually spent a long ass set of paragraphs remembering just about how bad being a demigod has been for me during the first few years. Now let me show you what's actually going on here.

So I'm still in the hill sweating like a pig with blades of grass stuck on me. Maybe if I stayed there long enough and rolled down the hill enough grass would've stuck til I look like a leshy and could get away with tickling people to death.

After that hell of a nightmare I chose the most logical step; get food and eat until I forget about it enough for me to not feel like garbage

"Um hi?" said a boy. Looks like it's the same one from earlier. You know the kid with eh dad issue before I had that annoying reoccurring nightmare that should entitle me to a session with a Psychiatrist? yep that kid.

"Anything I can do for you?" I replied looking at him

"Can you tell me about... well..." he stammered

"Spit it out kid" I urged

"The war. Some of the older campers keep talking about it" He asked

"Well war is never a good thing. Let's leave it at that and be thankful that it's all in the past" I explained as I headed to the dining pavilion

"Can I hear about the Seven then?" he said as he walked next to me

"They're heroes," I replied grabbing something to eat

"How'd they become heroes?" he asked

"If you're planning on becoming one good for you. Well they became heroes because they had to make hard choices and make sacrifices the rest of us could not make at the right time" I elaborated examining his face for any reactions

"When they became heroes they found their ways home right?" he returned fidgeting

"In a way yes. You don't have to be like them though. Mediocre people like me can find a place in this world too. After all, you need to have a point of comparison to establish what makes a hero" I replied ruffling his hair

I can see the future and part of it is looking right back at me. This boy may not be much today but so were our heroes some time back. They started out the same way and one day he'll probably end up making the choice between three paths, the path of heroism that Percy and his friends took, the path of darkness that Luke took, and the path of mediocrity that I tread on every day of my life.


	6. Guide

Sure, the gods aren't proper parents but they're our parents nonetheless. They're far from perfect regardless of what their epithet but they're also very far from human. I've never met my godly parent, not even once, but I'm thankful. After the entire debacle and Mr. Jackson demanded that the gods claimed their kids by the time they were thirteen, the Hermes Cabin became less bloated. Well it's still full and cramped but at least there's space on the floor to walk on if you wanted to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

My godly parent claimed me eventually and I got moved to a less populated cabin. Frankly It's hard to get used to suddenly just have 5 people in the cabin compared to the crowd in the Hermes cabin. It was a good change though. Our home was finally getting sorted out in its own way. The Seven were working on actually making camp a lot better than it has been in generations. More cabins are being built and the best part is we finally made peace with the Romans and all the innovations are starting to kick in. We're finally getting a better shot at a better life outside fighting monsters and running for them. We found a home.

"You know you're very lucky" I said with a smile tugging at my lips

"I still don't know where my dad is" he replied ruefully

"You don't know where he is yet, kiddo. You're here to get stronger so when you go out there you actually find him and not end up as an appetizer for a Cyclops dinner" I explained ruffling his hair "Not asking you to cheer up but I am telling you to train hard"

"I don't even know if he's alive" he continued

"You won't find out if you stay here forever as a weakling," I countered "This place can also be your home. well it isn't really much but hey we're all kind of family here. When I was your age things were pretty... bad. It's like being alone in a crowd where there is no such thing as a higher power, just us trying to defend ourselves"

"Camp was still here right?" he asked

"Yes, but it wasn't the way that it is today. Back during our time camp was thrown into chaos. You probably heard of the wars correct?" I replied looking at him

"yeah.." he mumbled

"During those wars we were on our own and didn't have any help from the gods. It's a problem because the war wouldn't have been ours to fight if not for the gods," I explained "We fought for the gods because of one reason, whether or not we fight their enemies will kill us for being their children. That was a reality we faced every day"

"You could've run like you told us right" he asked

"We wouldn't have anywhere to run to is the thing. The point of running is to run with a destination not just to escape. It's life you see. You don't just live for the sake of living, you live because you want to do something" I replied " now you go run back to training before they send you to stable duty for slacking off"

He gave a smile before heading off into the distance. I may never become a hero, but I know that I can be a hand that guides those who could. This is my path and I intend to stay on it.


	7. Quest

Hmm, give me a five letter word for trouble, monsters, and travelling . As a demigod I can only think of one that encompasses those three things; a quest. For some it'd be a great adventure to read about with lots of action and magic. What most of you fail to understand that questing isn't simply leaving camp and coming back a hero. It's sleeping in random places like a hobo, trying not to become someone's next meal, and running outrageous errands for the gods for any of the following reasons; camp is in danger and someone has to do it, a god is demanding you do it or you die, the gods are bored and need something to watch.

When you read stories about demigods going on quests slaying this, retrieving that, and fighting who knows what you'd probably be disinterested or would go "oh that's so cool I wish I could do that". Please, next time you read about us running for our lives while doing a divine errand please feel a shred of pity while you amuse yourselves.

Speaking of quests the new boy, Calvin was claimed as a son of Athena and is going to be shipped all the way to the other side of the continent to retrieve Artemis' bow or something with a buddy of his and surprisingly, me. I know I'm too young to say stuff like this but man am I getting too old for these things. Then again sending in greenhorns with no guide isn't a very good idea to begin with. That my friend would be like teaching you how to swim by drowning. It's effective but not very advisable if you want to have high chances of surviving. This is one thing I learned from 5 years of being sent into quests and being a delicacy for monsters and targets for angry deities and all supernatural creatures in between

That aside it was me, a child Apollo, and Calvin. I packed the usual essentials; a dagger, small packet of ambrosia and nectar, extra clothes, a few drachmas, a map, mortal money, food and water, and a first aid kit. For some of you a lot of these things won't really come in handy but if you're one of the fortunate people who get thrown all over the place, get broken bones, get hit by flying balls of death (don't ask), or clawed at, you won't want to leave the house without any of these.

"Alright kiddies this isn't to scare you, but I do have to tell you what to expect. It won't be like training where your opponent will stop when you fall down. This is the real world so prepare to do whatever it takes to survive do I make myself clear?" I asked before we headed out

"Yes mam," the all too bright and peppy Apollo camper replied. I didn't know whether to applaud his enthusiasm or get annoyed at how happy he seems to be thrown into danger.

"What's your name?" I said examining the lad

"Lucian," he replied with a smile

"Well Lucian, don't forget to stay on your toes. this won't be a walk in a park. Well more of a walk in Jurassic Park with the dinosaurs ready to maul you but eh" I returned as I ruffled their hair and marched out with them


	8. Gods

Our journey began the moment we stepped out of camp. Needless to say I wasn't at ease stepping out the border with these two. The idea of seeing someone so young dying didn't really sit well with me and no quest comes without a price. If quests were easy then gods wouldn't have so much fun watching us run from monsters, escape traps, or flee from angry deities.

I remember running away from one of my not so mortal half-siblings during a quest and let me tell you running from a snake lady with magic isn't as easy as it sounds. The more terrifying question is would I one day become like her; bitter, angry, alone. I've heard of how her story went. She was once a Libyan Queen with children she adored her children and was a very proud woman to a fault. Apparently she pissed off Hera who drove her mad by killing her kids and cursing her to become this creature. Regardless, that encounter has been anything but pleasant. Hopefully I don't run into her again. I hardly made it through the last one and I had help then. I don't think we'd survive a monster like her. Ironic how she was once a demigod like me and now she became a monster, not just an ordinary monster but the monster who cursed the rest of us to forever run from monsters by granting them the ability to smell us.

In short the non blinking snake lady is the reason why we have a shorter shelf life. Now we are somehow outrageously lucky enough to not get hounded after a few days outside camp.

For the mean time we are camping under a bridge trying not to cause a ruckus and above all stay alive.

"You two get some rest. I'll keep watch and we leave early in the morning" I instructed looking them in the eye

"We should take shifts on who is going to keep watch. We can't have you exhausted from all the work. We need to work together" Calvin replied.

"You rest for now and we switch later. I've done this before and you two need rest of you want to survive" I returned tending to the flame "I set traps around the perimeter so be careful where you step"

"Got it" Lucian replied "just wake us of anything comes up"

"Naturally" I said as I headed out to watch the night sky for a bit. Hopefully Artemis just left her bow unattended in an out of the way area and did not get it stolen by some mythological bad guy pulled out from a slasher film.

One can't help but wonder what life would be like if we didn't have to be afraid of monsters. We have tried to break Lamia's curse but none of us were powerful enough and the gods don' seem to want to even try. Do they feel joy when we are in situations like this? Is it simply a ball to watch their own live in dear of monsters discovering them? Aren't they gods? Can't they just do this one thing for us, their children, their faithful servants who keep their worship alive? Are our gods even gods at all?

I don't know. I would never know. They're one of the greatest mysteries that have been left unsolved along with the question of what defines a god. Are they really gods or super powered toddlers who claim to be gods and have nothing better to do than toy with mortals. The questions are endless.. For every answer there is a new question, an even harder puzzle to solve. It's like falling deeper into a bottomless pit while chasing a light. Perhaps questioning this reality is just like falling. You end up hurt.


	9. Cops and Giants

What is the most polite way to say that we're screwed? Well why do I ask? That would be because screwed would be the only word I can think of that can sum up our situation. I bet some of you are thinking its that we're in the middle of a fight against monsters or something. Well it's not as epic but it's just as bad. We're in a police station for some assault charges. Why you ask? Well when the dude behind you was actually a laista- Laisty- oh for heck's sake forget it let's just call them giants. You can pretty much imagine us fighting the guy and making it go poof back into the underworld where it belongs but unfortunately there were cops. Put two and two together they think we assaulted a helpless bystander with bats or whatever the mist made them see. gee thanks mom just shows how much you care.

"Officer, I do have to beg your pardon but unless you produce complainants and witnesses you won't have a case now would you" I reasoned. Unlike these guys I can get thrown into jail and I sure as hell don't want a bloody godforsaken quest to be the reason why I end up with a record.

"you were seen ganging up on them. I saw you myself" the cop returned

"Sir, you do realize that if you detain us here for no reason we could file charges against you specially if the charges you press against us were actually fallacious. Say if you put a girl and two minors in jail for false charges of assault wouldn't that be bad?" I asked back "I am supposed to have these kids home in a few minutes and I wouldn't want you to deal with their parents" I added as innocently as I could.

"Sir my dad would not like it if I don't get home soon..." Lucian added looking up at him with an upset look on his face

"We were just playing around and didn't hurt anyone" Calvin added

Somehow, I think it'd be harder to talk our way out of this and I'd have to make use of the mist. Well mother dearest you could've been nice enough to oh I don't know manipulate it in a way that we won't get arrested for defending ourselves against a monster. DO YOU EXPECT ME TO EXPLAIN THAT WE HAD TO KILL A MONSTER TO MORTALS?! Lady you have one job, make sure the mist keeps the magic out of the eyes of mortals and somehow at least help us stay out of trouble while we deal with said magic.

"Please sir, let us go. It's getting rather late and we have to get back to the hotel with our parents" I said doing my best to use the mist to alter whatever this numb skull thought he saw

"fine, we'll take you to where you're staying" he offered

I don't know if that was a stroke of luck or more misfortune when I'd have to explain who and where our parents are... Well a ride to the next spot we have to be in doesn't sound bad so might as well take it so he won't get even more suspicious

"Thank you officer. That is awful kind of you" I replied forcing the best smile I could muster

The ride was pretty quiet and the boys seemed a bit nervous. I tried my best to help them feel a bit better but that's all I could do; try. We stopped at a cheap hotel down town and we thanked the cops once more before going inside.

"that was a close one" Lucian said exasperatedly

"You bet" Calvin added

"I almost got thrown in jail" I added.

We walked to what looks like the receptions counter and asked for a room

"Um excuse me miss but would you have a room for three available for the night?" I asked trying to be charming like how my mother taught me

"Yeah, so what do you brats plan on paying with?" the woman sneered examining our rather ragged appearance

"Well depends on how much a room is" I replied. She gave a sigh and exchanged the keys for a sum of cash.

"You sure this is okay?" Calvin asked

"Yeah, it's on me. now you two head up and get cleaned" I replied smiling a bit

Well, a little comfort every once in a while can't be too bad now could it right? Well we should be able to track down where the bloody tartarus that wretched bow ought to be after a shower, a hot meal, and proper rest. For now I let them have this small act of mercy to at least give them some relief. Hopefully this ends soon and we get back to the comforts of camp. It may not be much but camp is home.


	10. Plans

Our brief moment of respite ended a little too soon and now we're back to hunting for Artemis' bow. I know how symbols of power work but seriously, if it's that important then why leave it up to mortals to get them back when they're lost? Won't a powerful god have a better chance at getting it back? This my dear reader is the logic of the gods because apparently sending mortal kids who may or may not have one the half-blood genetic lottery and was lucky enough to have powers seems better than having them in their full glory do the dirty work

I most likely won't understand why things are this way, but I'd still live with it regardless. Now we got answers that we rather wouldn't have had. What answers? Well let me recap on facts

1\. Artemis' bow was stolen (most likely misplaced and she got too lazy to get it back)

2\. We got picked for the quest (something about the children of the sun, wisdom, and the mist having to work together)

3\. Oh, and the bow ended up in the hands of Orion (You know her crazy ex that made it his business to hate on her and the rest of the people who are related to her in one way or another? yup that one)

Hmm does that explain it? Because I think one out of those things aren't demigod friendly... at all...

"From what we know Orion is a hunter so logically speaking we need to give him something to hunt," I started

"Like bait?" Calvin asked

"Yep, or a distraction to make him lose focus of the bow so one of us can sneak in grab it and go. Easy peasy lemon squeezy" I replied trying to sound optimistic

"Any ideas on what we'd make him chase" Lucian added

"Daughter of the Goddess of Magic, Mystokinesis," I replied

"So an illusion?" He pressed on

"That and something more. We'd need to split into different areas to cover any course of action he takes" I explained drawing out a map "Big O is over here with the bow. You two stay close enough to grab it. I'll lead him away" I continued drawing out the lines "In case he takes it with him you flank him and we'll tire him out. We'll take him to the caverns here then you sunshine will flash his eyeballs out"

"Excuse me?!" Lucian exclaimed

"I meant the literal flash like bright halogen head lights flash. Get your mind out of the gutter kid" I corrected

"Okay then what?" he asked

"I stab the brute and Cal here grabs the bow and we go back to our merry way to Camp Halfblood like any normal Tuesday" I replied

"Aren't you taking this way too lightly?" Calvin asked

"Well I am very serious and as long as you kids don't get skewered we're golden" I answered as I mapped out the area

"You sure this will work?" they asked

"No but it's going to be safer for you two" I mumbled "Now head to your places. We have a bow to retrieve and a camp to get back to" I said a bit louder

This plan and entire quest had its risk but I knew one thing for a fact... We are coming home one way or the other.


	11. That Time I Almost Became a Pancake

There are times when you just wish you're anywhere but there. In this case I wish I was just dealing with a giant double stuffed Oreo and a glass of milk instead of a giant that can snap my spine like a toothpick.

Funny story, you know how at times you make plans and they don't work the way they're supposed to and you fall into a deeper pit of hell? Well, that my friend is what's happening right now. It was supposed to be plain and simple. Distract the giant whose name sounds like an Oreo, steal the bow, then run the hell out of there like shameless cowards.

Unfortunately things did not go well because Lucian happened to end up stepping on a gods forsaken rock, fall over, and get Oreo's attention.

"Hey idiot, I'm over here and look what I got," I taunted raising an illusionary copy of the bow and masking the real one with mist. Let me tell you, this rubbish is flat out exhausting. It's like having all energy drained from your body to the point you feel like you'd be out of breath. THAT STUPID DARNED BLOODY BOW WAS HARD TO MASK AND THE BOY CAN'T HURRY UP AND RUN THE HELL OUT OF THERE SO I CAN FINALLY START RUNNING AWAY FROM THE TEN TON BEHEMOTH THAT WAS ABOUT TO SQUASH ME INTO A DEMIGOD PANCAKE A LA MODE.

"Why you little," the giant growled as he tried his best to squash me

"Psh, great hunter my arse you can't even hit one tiny demigod," I taunted exhausting every bit of magic I could to keep the doof occupied

"Hold still or I'll squash your little friend," he threatened as he made a motion to go back to Lucian

"That the best threat you got? I mean come on a three year old can come up with better insults than you. Plus you think you can't catch me without doing that? Wow, so much for being the greatest hunter of all time. No wonder Artemis dumped your sorry arse," I replied stepping back towards the edge of the cliff. One rule I got from dear old dad is that when dealing with a bigger stronger opponent who happens to be an egoistical testosterone pumped male is that the best way to get them to stop thinking properly is use their ego. Bad news is I'm almost out of magic and I have to think of a way out of this fast. For heaven's sake having a god around to help us dispose of this bloody beast of a man and finish this stupid quest. (I apologize to all beasts and men for using them to describe this er creature we are now calling Oreo. I also apologize to Oreo cookies for using them as a way to address this uh thing)

"Any last thoughts before you die?" he asked ready to shoot me on the spot. I'm gonna die. Hell, this is one bad way to go. I took a deep breath closed my eyes and tried to drown out the sound focusing what little bit of magic I had left in me hoping it would be enough to prevent this untimely and unsavory death.

I was ready to die but looks like the fates had other ideas. Oreo screamed as he got stabbed by something. I opened my eyes and saw the boys hacking at him. I don't know it was actually hurting him or irritating him but hella damn it bought me enough time to throw him off balance and send him plummeting down a cliff .

This time we weren't so complacent and ran the hell out of there with the bow. I couldn't care less if he's dead or not. All I could think of now was going home in one piece with these guys. I don't care about anything else, we're going home and putting this entire debacle behind us and chalking it up to another quest completed.


	12. Believer

Everyone does something stupid at least once in their lives ranging from forgetting to bring the house keys after your housemates say that they'd be gone for a while and would be locking every door and window, to taunting a monster and not making sure it's dead before hitting the road back to camp.

Unfortunately I was the latter kind of stupid.

Good news and bad news. Good news we got the bow and are a hop skip and a boat ride away from the safety of the barrier, bad news the bow made it easier for Oreo to track us down and probably think of a gruesome way to dispose of us. Note to self: NEVER EVER PARTAKE IN THE GODS' PERSONAL COMEDY OF DEATH. I'm sick and tired of being the clown in this stupid circus act that is over all pointless. I'm tired of having to run away from monsters who labeled me as an appetizer. Most of all I'm tired of being helpless.

"Um Hey you zoned out," mumbled Lucian snapping me out of my reverie

"Sorry, though you two should be resting. I'm keeping watch" I replied

"Mind if I ask you something?" he said slowly as if trying to gauge whether I'd get mad or not

"Go ahead kid but its your funeral," I shot back chuckling a bit

"How long have you been in camp?" He asked

"8-10 years. I lost track to be honest," I returned examining his face. It was the face of a lot of young campers who ended up thrown into this madness; fear.

"And how many quests have you completed?" he added

"15, but none of them were really important. They were just errands. Get this back, kill that, those kinds of things." I replied absentmindedly as I stoked the fire

"Will we come back alive?" he said solemnly

"I don't know, but I believe we would," I reassured patting his head "There is a reason why we are sent in groups. It's because freaks like us look out for each other and that's how we stay alive"

He stayed quiet for a bit and then let out a soft chuckle. "You know you're okay" he said before going back to his sleeping bag

"Go to sleep squirt we're leaving at day break," I reminded as I looked up to the stars wondering; is there really someone watching over us?

My mind drifted off to the concept of gods and the gods that we have now. Gods in any religion is a power capable of things beyond that of man. They are entities that people turn to in times of need and are all powerful. With that in mind I have always wondered why they needed people, lesser beings to do their bidding. IF they're all powerful then why do they thrive on the devotion of the people who are hardly a step up from the beasts. Why would almighty beings rely on fragile humans?

Nowadays man has made new gods to slave away for. Some serve money, power, addictions, work, among a plethora of things. It makes me wonder what will happen when men stop believing in the gods of religions and veer to the ideas of today where man no longer attributes things like the sun, the stars, the moon and such to gods. Perhaps this is why they're prolific. Perhaps this is why gods still make demigods like me.

They're just as afraid of what lies ahead when the last believer falls.


End file.
